Luigi Mangione returns to court for the fourth day of evidence suppression hearing

Luigi Mangione returned to a Manhattan courtroom on Friday for the fourth consecutive day of hearings regarding the suppression of evidence in the state case accusing him of murdering United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a New York City sidewalk last year.

The proceedings are expected to feature testimony from two police officers from Altoona, Pennsylvania, who were part of the team of more than a dozen law enforcement personnel present at the McDonald's where Mangione was taken into custody following the shooting. Officer Christy Wasser appears in body camera footage inspecting Mangione's backpack and is later heard declaring, "there's a weapon."

The defense is seeking to prevent the backpack's contents from being presented at trial, arguing that officers had neither a warrant nor justification to handle it. "He never acted aggressively, did he?" defense attorney Jacob Kaplan questioned Patrolman Tyler Frye during Thursdays session. "No," Frye replied. "He never tried to open his backpack inside the McDonald's, correct?" Kaplan continued. "No," the officer answered.

The backpack is central to the prosecution's case. Authorities claim it contained both the instrument and motive for the alleged crime: a 3D-printed firearm used to kill Thompson and a notebook in which Mangione reportedly wrote, "The target is insurance. It checks every box."

The hearing is anticipated to extend into next week. During Thursday's session, the judge admonished both sides for being repetitive, noting that such duplication "is not helping your case."

Author: Benjamin Carter